View full size(Press-Register file/Mary Hattler)The Mobile City Council today passed an ordinance forbidding panhandling in a "Downtown Visitors' Domain."

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Mobile City Council passed an ordinance today that forbids panhandling of any kind in a newly created “Downtown Visitors Domain.”

The area centers on Dauphin Street but includes a few blocks to the north and south and stretches from Bayou Street east to Water Street, a neighborhood dotted with several nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The ordinance forbids any direct request for money in the district, as well as the sale of useless trinkets for a donation.

The law was crafted to apply to a small area in order to comply with federal court decisions that have found citywide bans on begging to be an unconstitutional violation of free speech.

A separate section of the ordinance addresses panhandling in the rest of the city. Under the new rule, asking for money is allowed outside the Visitors Domain but is heavily restricted.

Restricted activities include:

Asking for money after dark.

Touching a person while asking for money.

Asking for money from somebody as they wait in line outside a building.

Asking for money in groups of two or more.

Approaching motorists in traffic.

The city’s previous law prohibited “begging” in general but did not define it. The courts have found such laws to be unconstitutionally broad.